


your dumb smile does it for me every time

by tazernkaner



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-18
Updated: 2016-09-18
Packaged: 2018-08-15 18:58:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8068945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tazernkaner/pseuds/tazernkaner
Summary: He puts up points and inspires on the ice, and after a big win he can get up and make a boisterous speech about how awesome they are. But this, now, fresh off a -2 performance with a bad giveaway that led to an easy goal, he's got nothing.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I'm writing this on shitty wifi in a Toronto hotel room, anxiously waiting to head back to the Air Canada Centre for today's games. I had the pleasure of attending both of yesterday's games, and dreamt up this tiny fic during the break.

Patrick can't think of a situation he hates more than walking into a locker room after a bad loss. 

The atmosphere in the USA locker room is even worse than the Hawks. While they're all playing for the common goal; to bring pride to their nation, it doesn't have the same sense of family. Most of these guys are used to being rivals; it's hard not to imagine they're all pissed and scanning the room for someone to blame. 

Pavelski makes a half hearted attempt at an inspiring speech, which gets little in the way of a response. 

The ‘A’ burns on his chest, reminding him that this is his team too and he should probably pull out some sort of encouragement. But he knows he played a shitty game, and that everyone had a certain set of expectations for him coming into this. 

The thing is, he's not like Jonny. There's a reason he's never gotten a letter in Chicago. He puts up points and inspires on the ice, and after a big win he can get up and make a boisterous speech about how awesome they are. But this, now, fresh off a -2 performance with a bad giveaway that led to an easy goal, he's got nothing. 

He wonders if Jonny watched the game, and if he was disappointed in Patrick. It's a stupid thought since Jonny is a) never truly disappointed in Patrick, b) fucking hates team USA and c) probably didn't even watch because he was taking his pregame nap. 

They all undress and shower without much communication, some grunts and a “we’ll be better next game” or two. He ends up sitting next to Oshie on the bus back to the hotel, and except for an elbow and a half smile from Oshie, they don't speak either. 

He's really fucking glad they don't have roommates this tournament because he can't imagine stewing in silence with another person for the next couple of hours. The only person he can do that with is Jonny, and only because they got good at losing and being pissed about it because they knew they were capable of so much more, back in their first season. 

When he gets in his room, he takes his phone out for the first time since the game started. He's got some messages from family, Erica saying they can go out to supper instead of him hiding out alone. There's a few more from his teammates on the Hawks, and then one from Jonny. 

‘Don't be too hard on yourself’ it says, which is fucking annoying. He loves Jonny but he wants to see his team go out there and get destroyed. He's sick of stupid fucking Canada and their stupid fucking ‘golden boys.’ 

He watches the game, though he shouldn't. It only makes him angrier to watch them go out there with ease and keep scoring goals. 

Patrick knows that his team has the talent to beat them; and they did just a week ago. But it's still infuriating and he wants to throw something the first four times the puck goes into the back of the net. 

But then Jonny scores, and Patrick should be mad again too, or maybe jealous that he had got shut out. 

But he catches a glimpse of Jonny’s dumb smile when he sees the puck slide through. And even though Jonny is wearing a hideous Canada jersey, he's still his captain and love of his fucking life and all that garbage. 

And he knows that Jonny had been disappointed in how much he’d produced offensively last season, and that he worked his ass off this summer to change that. 

So, even though he hates their dumb celebration afterwards, he can't help smiling for Jonny. 

He sends him a text that says “fuck you, come to my hotel and give me a bj to make up for your dumb goal.”


End file.
